Helen Goodman MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Communications, responding to David Cameron’s comments on mobile phone bills, said:

“David Cameron has failed to get  a hold of the cost-of-living crisis, and it is the public who are paying the price. This is as true in the area of telephone bills as elsewhere.

“The Government is doing nothing to help people with mobile phone bill shock, nor to make clear what people are actually paying for bundled services. Why has it taken Maria Miller so long to approach the mobile companies, and what action is she going to take to tackle the cost of living?

“Households spend an average of £97.62 per month on telecoms services, including £32.21 on mobile bills and £10.78 on internet. Yet mobile companies are getting £150m of taxpayers money for the Mobile Infrastructure Project, and BT is getting £1.2bn in public money for their broadband programme. The Government must make sure we are getting the best deal for consumers.”

Ms Goodman also responded to today’s report on the positive economic benefit of broadband roll out:

“Labour welcomes the news that broadband roll out will bring economic benefits. However, it the Government’s roll out programme is 22 months late. With the slowest economic recovery in a century and wages stagnating, the Government must get its act together, so that British taxpayers see the benefit sooner rather than later.”